Twitch is giving some of its higher-paying subscribers a new chat perk, allowing Tier 2 and Tier 3 subs to send GIFs directly alongside regular messages.
The Amazon-owned platform announced the feature on September 1, confirming that eligible subscribers can search for and post GIFs using a new GIF Keyboard powered by GIPHY.
The feature is currently limited to select channels as Twitch evaluates feedback from streamers and their communities. Twitch says it plans to expand access in the future, although it has not provided a wider rollout date.
How Twitch’s new GIF chat feature works
In channels with the feature available, streamers have the GIF Keyboard enabled by default. Tier 2 and Tier 3 paid subscribers can then access it by selecting the Emote icon in chat and switching over to the GIFs tab.
From there, viewers can search or browse GIPHY and select a GIF to send as a single chat message. Twitch has placed a 30-second cooldown between GIF messages for each user.
Streamers who do not want GIFs appearing in their chat can disable the feature. Twitch says this can be done through subscription settings, and all Tier 2 and Tier 3 subscribers will receive a notification if the perk is disabled.
The company is also applying its existing moderation systems to GIFs. Streamers and moderators can delete individual GIF messages, while GIF searches respect AutoMod settings so terms matching banned words or phrases will not return results.
Chat restrictions such as Emote-Only Mode and Shield Mode can also prevent GIFs from being sent. Users who are timed out, banned or otherwise restricted from chatting will similarly be unable to use the feature.
Twitch says GIF messages are subject to its Community Guidelines like any other chat message. Users are responsible for the GIFs they send, and related stream content could be removed if a GIF violating Twitch’s policies appears on screen.
The GIF Keyboard uses GIPHY’s content ratings to filter available results. Twitch sets PG as the default, while streamers can choose the more restrictive G rating intended for all ages.
Viewers who do not want animated GIFs playing in chat can disable animations through their chat appearance settings.
Doing so replaces moving GIFs with static previews. On older or incompatible devices where GIFs cannot render, Twitch says the name of the GIF will be displayed instead.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
